Snow Melting Under the Sun
by thelinksthatconnectus
Summary: She was something in his reach, but something that he could not hold. It was a hard truth, but a truth that Jack came to realize. Jackunzel


It started out with a bit of ice forming on the floors, then snow beginning to fall. Jack didn't even do it on purpose, only so that he could get some time to think. Rapunzel didn't even notice, just began to marvel what was happening.

"I've never been out in the snow before," she had said once.

Jack sat on the window, one foot outside in the hot summer air, the other inside the cold room. The stone walls did nothing to warm the place. His eyes flitted from Rapunzel to the world outside.

To think, he had wanted to offer her a way out of this (whatever it was). He sighed, running his finger along some frost.

"Jack," Rapunzel said, her eyes on him. "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No, of course not." He grinned. "Like the snow?"

"Yes!" She leaned down, packing snow between her hands.

"I just needed to cool things down." When he had come to the tower, the window was as wide open as it could possibly get. He couldn't blame her; this was one of the hottest days that he could remember. Still, he hadn't wanted to cause a sudden snowstorm in the middle of July.

At least not outside.

She returned her attention to the snow, running her fingers through it. The cold seemed to not bother her, at least not as much as it did other people. If she did need to warm up, all she would have to do was ask Jack to let it melt.

"This is incredible, Jack!"

For now, he would keep it just the way that it was.

His eyes wondered outside. There was a whole world out there, one that she was itching to know about. It was surprising that she hadn't asked him about what he had seen while he was gone - though he wasn't desperate for her to ask either. It wasn't like he had anything exciting to say (and for once he could think of no lie to make, nor no story to embellish).

At least one person liked the snow while knowing that he brought it.

His eyes returned to the tower. Other than more a few new and redone paintings on the wall, it hadn't changed much since Jack had last seen it. Despite his numerous visits, he didn't know that much about it. It would be easy for him to assume that it was like most other human houses, but he knew that was ridiculous. He saw most of their houses, and most of them were not like this. Still, it wasn't like he had been in many others. Even if they couldn't see him, it felt rude.

Mostly, that just left him out in the cold (though he was used to it).

He looked back to her. Her happiness was real, and the warmth in her eyes when she looked at him was one hundred percent genuine.

He wanted to give her better, to let her have a snow day every day.

But he couldn't.

He looked back outside. Here it may have been summer, but other places were in need of snow. Rather than planning ahead, Jack had focused on other things, other people.

And what could he really give her? She may have had powers, but there was no sure chance that the Man in the Moon would make her immortal. For all he knew, he could end up pulling her into danger.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you!" Rapunzel stood by a tall pile of lumpy snow.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you building a snowman?"

She nodded. "Want to help?"

Jack nodded. "Of course." He got down from the window sill. "So how have things been while I was gone?"

"Good," Rapunzel said. "I've missed you."

"I have to." He looked around the room. "Where's Pascal?"

"Has it really been that long?" She rolled her eyes. "Oh, Jack, you know how much he hates the cold!"

"Oh yeah," he responded. He looked away from her, absently looking over a painting on the wall. It looked a lot like him. "How could that have slipped my mind?"

The little chameleon didn't have to worry; it wasn't like Jack would be bringing the snow back again.

"Come on!" Rapunzel said. "We need to hurry up and finish this snowman! I have lots of paintings to show you! You're going to love them."

Jack leaned against his staff. "I'm sure that I will."


End file.
